


Anchor

by closemyeyesandleap



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Episode: s05e20 The One Who Will Save Us All, Fix-It, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, mama may
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-23 20:50:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16626215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/closemyeyesandleap/pseuds/closemyeyesandleap
Summary: May, not Deke, goes to look for Daisy after her fight with YoYo.





	Anchor

**Author's Note:**

> T rating for mild language

“She’s going to get everyone killed!” 

YoYo’s furious voice followed Daisy as she rushed down the corridor. She paused to scoop up the duffel, in her hurry failing to notice it was still open.

Her stomach turned when her hand brushed the rough surface of the skeleton inside. Daisy heard the echo of May’s heated reply to YoYo, but the exact words escaped her as buzzing filled her head and she fought to steady her breath.

Daisy zipped the bag and flung it over her shoulder, trying to ignore the rustle of the contents shifting inside.

Her powers alerted her to the approaching footsteps before her ears picked up the sound. She made to go to the lab, to get it over with, then faltered.

Simmons would be engrossed in helping Fitz try to get the Zephyr space-ready. 

She didn’t want to face them all.

Especially Fitz.

Especially carrying the bones of her mother.

She didn’t want to see reflections of YoYo’s disgust on the faces of every other member of her team.

Besides, what help would she be with the science, anyway?

Best stay away.

Instead, she turned and retreated to her quarters. Daisy glanced at the door, then decided to leave it open. As much as she wanted to slam it shut and hide for hours - days, maybe - she had to be ready to go rescue Coulson at a moment’s notice.

_What the hell?_ Her eyes drifted across the room and she saw smell yellow balls dotting her bed. She approached them and prodded them with a finger. Yeah, they were definitely lemons. 

_Better than bombs, I guess_ , she thought disparagingly as she stared at the pile of lemons. It was a weird joke. Probably commentary on her performance as leader, passive-aggressive condemnation by fruit.

Gently, she placed the duffle on the floor and collapsed onto the pea-green sofa, her head falling into her hands. She winced at the tenderness in her left cheekbone as it met her blistered palm.

How had it all fallen apart so quickly? 

How could the world be so cruel as to swipe Coulson away when they’d only barely gotten him back? To permit the battleground atmosphere to fester in the Lighthouse even after the enemy was defeated? To make the only path to saving one parent the desecration of another?

A soft metallic knock pulled her from the swirling chasm of her thoughts. Daisy glanced up.

She straightened quickly when she saw May standing in the doorway. “Is the Zephyr ready?” she asked, trying to sound more sure than she felt.

May shook her head. 

“Oh.” Daisy let herself slouch back into the couch. May didn’t move. She remained in the doorway, watching Daisy.

Daisy broke the silence. “Tony had the Centipede serum. Just one left, but it should be enough, combined with… with something else, to heal Coulson. When Simmons is done helping F-,” Daisy faltered, “helping with the Zephyr, I’ll get it to her.”

May’s shoulders loosened. “Good. We needed some good news.”

Daisy gave a half-smile that didn’t extend to her eyes and a slight nod.

May’s brow furrowed. She fully entered the room, and shut the door behind her. “Look, what happened with Elena—”

“Forget about it,” Daisy muttered. “It’s my fault. I threw the first punch, anyway.”

May passed all the way into the room and settled on the couch next to Daisy, stepping over the bag as she did so. She glanced back at the duffel.

“Anything to do with that?”

Daisy bit her lip. It was going to come out eventually. YoYo knew, and once she gave the remains to Simmons, all bets were off. She kept her eyes on the floor.

“It’s my mom,” she said flatly. “The serum, it wouldn’t work w- without her DNA.” 

She kept her eyes fixed on the rough beige rug under her boots. She didn’t want to look up. She didn’t want to see the horror in May’s eyes at the monster she had become.

Instead, she felt the warm touch of skin on her hand and heard May’s soft voice. 

“Thank you.” 

Daisy raised her eyes and met May’s, still expecting to see revulsion in them. 

Instead, she saw an earnest sadness mixed with the hint of hope.

“There was no other choice. We can’t lose him.”

May nodded. “We won’t.”

Daisy felt May’s fingers gently rub the back of her hand, passing over the bruises blossoming on her knuckles from her fight with YoYo.

She felt the ghost of the shovel in her grip and fought the urge to pull her hand away.

She did not want to contaminate May with the aura of death that hovered around her. But try as she might, Daisy couldn’t bring herself to deprive herself of the warmth she felt at May’s slight touch.

“I feel like it’s me,” Daisy muttered. 

May’s brow furrowed in a silent question.

“My mom, Lincoln… Coulson,” Daisy whispered, “everyone close to me always ends up dying.”

Daisy started as May suddenly gripped her hands with both of her own, halting her caresses. 

“Look at me. We are _not_ going to lose him. And what happened to the others was not your fault.”

“It’s just… all the agents who died in the attack, Trip, Ben… Andrew,” Daisy added with additional firmness, staring at May with a hint of defiance. She was pushing her, trying to get her to agree. 

To turn on her like Fitz. To blame her like YoYo. 

She didn’t deserve May’s steady, supportive presence.

But May didn’t give in.

“Not your fault.”

“Can’t argue with facts, May.”

May shook her head. “You have superpowers, Daisy. You’re not omnipotent. Elena… she can’t understand that we’re doing what needs to be done. She saw things in the future she can’t face right now. But we’ve got to keep our heads on straight. The fight isn’t over.”

“What if we can’t change a thing?” Daisy’s voice had faded into a plea.

May tightened her grip still further. “Then we’ll go down fighting.”

Daisy nodded.

A firm knock sounded at the door.

“Yeah?” she called, her voice hoarse.

Mack peeked his head in. “Zephyr’s ready to go.”

“Thanks. Be right there.”

Mack nodded and closed the door behind him.

May stood and held a hand out to Daisy. “Suit up, and let’s go kick some alien ass.”

Daisy pushed down the lump in her throat. She could cry another day. Now, it was time to save Coulson. 

“Hell yeah.”

**Author's Note:**

> So, my working title for this was "De-Dekefication." (Evil laugh)
> 
> I know I write a lot of this kind of thing, but I don't think I can get enough Daisy comfort. Man, season 5 was rough at times! 
> 
> Thoughts welcome!


End file.
